Twelve years ago, when Scott and I were in middle school and likely more interested in Magic Cards than mountains, Jim Donini and Greg Crouch climbed the West Pillar of Cerro Pollone, in Chilean Patagonia. The account of their climb (and the fact that it hadn't been completed to the summit) inspired me several years ago:
"...featured tons of high-angle free climbing on superb rock. The summit view from the top of the pillar is astonishing ... probably the best I've had in Patagonia. ... I think the whole route would go free with just a few short sections of 5.11. The right team should be able to peel the whole thing off in a single day."
Scott and I woke after our climb on Guillaumet to the appearance of several teams of climbers who had just arrived in the mountains. Apparently the weather would stay good for several more days, which had compelled some folks to wait and plan bigger objectives, and others to try and to cram back-to-back climbs into the six days of splitterness. We had no more food, but psyche in abundance. And an unrepeated route established when I was 3 years old was beckoning...
Freeing new ground on Mermoz. Shame about the crummy rock...
Boundary Bay Oatmeal Stout vs Great Divide's Belgian 'Colette'. Riding my bike to sunny baseball games at Coors Field. Sneaking good food into a bad movie at the dollar theater. Feeling too full to want more food. Being warm. These and similar thoughts dominated my mind as we drudged down the final few hundred feet of glacier to our camp at Piedras Negras. I was thrilled to have pulled off a new route after a week in the range, but at the time, probably even more thrilled to just crawl into a tent and pass out.
After 8 hours of overnight busing, I was awoken this morning to our the screching halt of our bus refusing to travel any further. I am currently midway between Bariloche, in Northern Patagonia, and El Chalten, in Patagonia sur. However, my friend Scott has his laptop along, so I was able to check email and post some pictures from a week of climbing the granite spires and needles located in two valleys above the refugio (alpine hut) called Frey. Scott and I were up there with my friend Forest, and ran into some other folks we knew as well.
Frey delivered the goods. We experienced 80 degrees days of perfect weather, some Patagonia stormage (on a much-needed rest day) and pitch after pitch of perfection. The (climbing) highlight was when Scott and I linked up perhaps the two best routes in Frey in a day, both on the Torre Principal. We didn't bring cameras along though, and really didn't have much else for that matter either. In all, we climbed 15 pitches of 5.10-5.12 on a shared half-liter of water and one bar each. But the routes were superb. First up was Rolo Garibotti's tribute to a friend (Teo, we don't forget you... or Teo, No Te Olvidarmos) and after this was Sinestro Total. Rolo rates 'Teo' 5 stars (out of 3 possible) and Scott and I agreed, with the phrase "This is the best rock climb in the world" being shouted by both escaladores at least once.
Scott on the variation to Sinfuentes-Weber
'Teo' ascends the South (AKA North, AKA shady, cold, and fully gnar) face of the biggest spire around. We knew it was going to be game-on when the first pitch (graded ~5.8 on the topo) featured an overhanging and leaning thin-hands crack we both called solid 5.10+. And from there things just got better. The final 250' was overhanging granite scoops and huecos, gusts of winds, shouts of exaltation, and the occasional sightings of nearby condors. From atop the West summit, we engineering and scrapped together a rappel to the North, bootying a new cam, several wiregates, and a some slings that we rapped off later. From here, we cruised up Sinestro Total (~9 pitches, 5.10+) and managed to rappel back down to terra firma just as it got dark. Lacking both watches and headlamps, we ended up doing some confused rappelling, with Scott leading a pitch for our stuck rope, and the day's final rappel being made from the webbing belt that I had donned that morning.
Forest taught us a bunch about using tricky light, as here on Aguja M2
Drying our laundry before the storm and snowy/sleety/hail
Each night around the Refugio (wine-selling, dinner-making, merriment-creating alpine hut) we would laugh, hang out with friends, share plans for the next day, and rave about the one which just ended. Also up in Frey were the sweet tunes of Sean Villanueva and Nico Favresse, a couple of world-class musicians who moonlight as 'rock stars'. Nico managed to free an aid roof on the Aguja Frey at lowerish 5.13, and Sean walked a newly-installed highline between two of the vertiginous towers high on the ridge. I'll eventually link to some pictures that my friend Forest took of all the goings-on thereabouts.
And as for now, it is off to El Chalten and more new and exciting adventures.
We're 1-for-3 on attempts at 5-spire linkups. Rocky Mountain National Park was a success, while Cathedral Spires Ridge and Castle Valley resulted in 3 spires each. However, those failures just inspired future attempts, with more daylight and better logistical knowledge of the terrain.
Last week Scott Bennett and I tried the Cathedral Ridge 5-tower linkup (Cynical Pinnacle, Poe Buttress, Sunshine Wall, The Dome, The Bishop). Just 2 weeks out from the year's shortest day, we didn't have time to fit them all in, but I know I want to try again.
Here's a movie Scott made about our day.
Wunsch's Dihedral (I lead the .11d/.12a finger crack, Scott linked the overhanging hands and subsequent fingers corner in one 66m lead)
Mississippi Half Step (2 pitches, 5.11d, perhaps the Platte's best climb of this length)
Regular Route on Sunshine Wall (5.11a) - 5 STELLAR pitches, from overhanging cracks to runout face
Equinox Roof on Sunshine Wall - First two pitches (5.10) linked as one
Another 5-spire linkup that would be fun: Liberty Bell, Concord Tower, Lexington Tower, North Early Winter, South Early Winter.
There must be others, but those are really the only ones I can think of.
Nuts and Bolts:
1x70m rope
1x #3 Camalot
1x #2 Camalot
2x Green Alien to #1 Camalot
1x hefty set of wires
2 pairs of shoes for me (crack climbing ones for wunsch's, face climbing for Half Step)
Days are SHORT in early Jan!
Does size matter? This question, historically the domain of trashy women's magazines, is now relevant to the ever-evolving climbing gear industry—in particular, rapidly shrinking carabiners.
A carabiner in the hand is worth... roughly $7.95. FS Mini on right.
I occasionally write little reviews of products for Alpinist, which is good writing practice, and also allows me to own or borrow some new gear. Typically, big items like tents are loaned out, and smaller items are given to the review for use, and to keep afterward.
The Alpinist editor who contacts companies and sets up the reviews was recently confronted with the following response from a company's PR folks after specifying an item or two for the review:
"Obviously, giving away equipment and then receiving a low rating wouldn't be much appreciated"
WHAT??
As Mitch Hedberg would say... "You've got no faith in the product itself."
If you aren't willing to allow for an honest review of your gear, don't let it be reviewed. To agree to a review with a guilt-laden caveat that the reviewer "owes" a good review is total bullshit.
The Naked Edge is the best rock climbing route in Eldorado Canyon, and hence the entire Colorado "Front Range". It has been free soloed, it's been ascended by a blind climber, and 'The Edge' has seen its share of memorable moments. I'll certainly never forget my first time on it (a little over a year ago) and I don't think anyone else would either. This morning, my friend Scott Bennett and I climbed the route (round trip from the bridge over Boulder Creek) in 1 hour and 13 minutes, belaying the whole route.
The start of the Naked Edge is roughly 300' above the ground. We scrambled a low-5th-class ramp, I took a belay climbing through the Cave (5.8) and then began to lead.
I linked pitch 1 (5.11-) and pitch 2 (5.10), though I was nearly blown off the wall near the top of this section, after pulling around the prow of the arete into 50+ MPH wind gusts. I had to re-tighten my helmet in light of wind gusts that seemed able to dislodge it from my head. Eldorado Canyon functions as giant wind funnel, and the Naked Edge forms one of the two prows which project out into the canyon from either side. On a day when local weather stations recorded 55 MPH gusts and dust was blown into our faces while racking up in the parking lot, Scott and I chose to literally hang our asses out from "the edge" and into the gusts.
Scott followed quickly, and set off up P3, which is a rambling 5.8 section along the crest. We couldn't hear each other at all with the wind blowing, but when he started yarding in rope, I took him off and was soon following this pitch.
From a sheltered alcove on the lee side of the arete, Scott took the lead for a link of the final 2 pitches, both 5.11-.
Pulling over the top and running to the belay tree, I was immediately aware of the relative calm, a highly-welcome surprise in light of our necessary downclimb of the East slabs. Scott raced by me on the slab downclimb, but offered some key routefinding info to prevent any more off-route-adventures. We checked our cel-phone timer and high-fived at the bridge. The wind kept blowing.
Nuts and Bolts:
1x Blue Alien 1x green alien 1x yellow/green hybrid 1x yellow alien 1x #1 Camalot 1x #2 Camalot
5 dyneema draws and 5 dyneema runners, 2 wiregates on each
One GriGri, one ATC (hangable) and one 45m chunk of 9.5mm rope
"...featured tons of high-angle free climbing on superb rock. The summit view from the top of the pillar is astonishing ... probably the best I've had in Patagonia. ... I think the whole route would go free with just a few short sections of 5.11. The right team should be able to peel the whole thing off in a single day."
After 8 hours of overnight busing, I was awoken this morning to our the screching halt of our bus refusing to travel any further. I am currently midway between Bariloche, in Northern Patagonia, and El Chalten, in Patagonia sur. However, my friend Scott has his laptop along, so I was able to check email and post some pictures from a week of climbing the granite spires and needles located in two valleys above the refugio (alpine hut) called Frey. Scott and I were up there with my friend Forest, and ran into some other folks we knew as well. 
